Apparatus for producing openings in sheet material for the manufacture of window envelopes



1964 R. WINKLER ETAL 3,159,069

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING OPENINGS IN SHEET MATERIAL FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF wmoow ENVELOPES Filed Jan. 26, 1960 mmyrons Rickard/flail Kurf flnneblier. #24416 W ATTMA/EY ArPAnArUs non United States Patent PRQDUCING OPENINGS IN SHEET MATERIAL FQR TIE MANUFACTURE OF WINDOW ENVELGIES Richard Winkler, Rengsdorf, near Neuwied, Rhineland,

and Kurt Diinnebier, Wollendorf, near Neuwied, Rhineland, Germany, assignors to Berkley Machine Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Jan. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 4,764 Claims priority, application Germany Feb. 2, 1959 1 Claim. (Cl. 833(l2) This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for producing openings in continuously moving paper material, and particularly the window openings in partially formed envelopes, the blanks therefor, or paper web from which the blanks may be cut.

One known method of producing openings in envelope blanks for use in envelope gumming and folding machines requires the use of a separate cutting press, with the disadvantages that it introduces an additional operation, consumes time and involves the cost of labor in transporting the blanks to and from the press. In this method the cutting operation is carried out with the envelope material in a flat pile, and entails the further disadvantage that the openings vary from each other in size and position, and the edges are often frayed and uneven.

Another method is to produce the window openings in the blanks or paper Web material by revolving cutters having the shape of the openings while the blanks or web are being carried over counter rollers in the envelope making machine. In some cases the cutting elements are divided into two mutually spaced sections, one for producing cuts parallel to the direction of feed of the blanks or web and the other section for producing the transverse cuts to interconnect the parallel cuts and complete the openings.

The latter methods have the disadvantage in that the cutting elements must exert considerable pressure on the counter rollers, and particularly those for making the transverse cuts, to enable the performance of a fairly satising speed of the cutting mechanismv and of the other parts of the machine is restricted. A further disadvantage is that the transverse cuttingelements must be of spiral shape to accommodate the transverse cut action in timed relation with the forward movement of the blanks or Web for producing generally linear transverse cuts without tearing of the material. Another disadvantage is that the cuts are produced by squeezing action rather than by a shearing action, with the result that the edges of the openings are not cleanly formed. When counter cutting elements are used in an endeavor to'obtain clean cuts by shearing action, accuracy in shaping the blades and relative adjustment thereof on the rollers is so critical that this method is not practical.

It is, therefore, the principal objects of the present invention to overcome the above mentioned difiiculties by providing a method of producing the Window openings while the Web or blanks move in flat condition through a linear path, and to provide an improved cutting apparatus for cutting the window openings which is comparatively simple and the cutting elements are of simple construction and easily adjusted to cut cleanly through the material without excessive pressure.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a method and apparatus for cutting window openings at higher speeds to increase the production of this type of envelopes on rotary envelope making machines; to provide for producing the window openings by making cuts therefor in separate stations, in which one station includes a refactory cut by a squeezing action. Consequently the work- 7 "ice volving pair of cutting elements cooperating with a hard surface counter roll to make laterally spaced apart cuts in the direction of feed and the other station includes a stationary straight edge cutting element cooperating with revolving straight edge cutting elements to make trans verse cuts interconnecting the parallel cuts by a shearing action; and to p ovide cutting elements for forming window openings having rounded corners.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the inven tion, we have provided improved method and apparatus, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of an apparatus for forming openings in a continuously moving blank or web in'accordance with the present invention, the section being taken on the line 1-1 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the web showing the cuts produced therein.

FIG. 4 is a cross section on the line 44 of FIG. 1, particularly illustrating the mechanism for making the transverse cuts.

FIG. 5 is a similar cross section on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1, particularly illustrating the mechanism for producing the parallel cuts.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of cutting element for use in producing window openings having rounded corners.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a preferred apparatus embodying the features of the present invention and which may be incorporated in a conventional rotary type of envelope making machine. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, only the work performing elements of the window cutting apparatus are shown, and it is to be understood that shown as operating upon a continuous web 2 of material from which the blanks are subsequently cut after the window openings have been formed therein, the web 2 being guided in a conventional manner in a straightaway direction indicated by the arrow 3.

The apparatus 1 comprises separate cutting units or sections 4- and 5 to operate upon fiat portions of the web material, or in the case of blanks, while the blanks are being conveyed in flat condition by the blank conveying mechanism of the envelope making machine. The cutting unit 4 comprises a hard surface counter roller 6 supported in contact with one face side of the web 2 on .a shaft '7 having its ends suitably journaled in a part of holders 8 and 9, each having a cylindrical body 10 carrying on the periphery thereof an arcuate cutter designated 11 for the holder 3 and 12 for the holder 9. The arcuate cutters are of a length corresponding to the dimension of a window opening 13 to be produced in the web and produce the cuts or incisions 14 and 15 (FIG. 3) that extend in the directional movement of the web.

The holders 3 and 9 are carried on a transverseshafi 16 at the opposite face side of the web, with the cutting edges 17 of the cutters 11 and 12 in position to just make contactwith the peripheral face 6' of the roller 6, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The shaft 16 is mounted in the frame of the envelope making machine similarly to the shaft 7, and one of the shafts is preferably resiliently supported with respect to the other for establishing the desired contact of the cutters 11 and 12 with the surface 6' of the counter roller 6. The cutting side of the web.

elements 8 and 9 are preferably adjustable on their supporting shaft 16 in order to vary the lateral spacing between the cutters 11 and 12 to make parallel cuts 14 and 15 in the web and to position the cuts in accordance with the desired location of the window openings 13 in the web 2.

The cutting unit is positioned a convenient distance from the unit 4 for making the transverse cuts or incisions 18 and 18 interconnecting the ends of thecuts 14 and to complete the window openings 13. The unit 5 includes a stationary knife 19 which may cornprise a rigid bar 20 of rectangular cross section, whereby a corner thereof provides a linear cutting edge 21. The knife 19 is supported transversely of the web and in, an inclined position, as best shown in FIG. 1, so that the edge 21 is supported in contact with a face side of the web 2.

The cutting unit 5 also includes a rotor 22, carried on the opposite side of the web 2 on a transverseshaft 23 which is rotatably supported and driven in timed relation with the shafts 7 and 16 of the cutting unit 3. The rotor 22 carries knives 24 and 25 that are carried in parallel relation on the periphery of the rotor by segmental knife holders 2 d and 27 that are adjustably secured to opposite diametrical sides of the rotor by fastening devices 28 and 29. The knives 24 and 25 extend radially from the periphery of the rotor 22 and are held in spaced apart relation by the holders 26 and 2.7. The radial outer edges of the knives 24 and 25 are each oppositely beveled as at 30 and 31 to provide linear cuttingedges 32 and 33, respectively, that cooperate with the cutting edge 21 of the stationary knife 19 for producing transverse cuts 18 and 18 of the window opening 13. I

In order to compensate for movement of the web and to produce a shear cut, the knives 24 and 25 are positioned at a slight transverse angle, as indicated by the dotted lines 34 in FIG; 2, and whereby the effective cutting portions thereof relatively to the cutting edge 21 of the stationary knife 19 shift transversely across the web in producing continuous linear transverse cuts 18 and 18' in the web. The relative relation between the cutting edge 21 and the revolving cutting edges 32 and 33 of the knives 24 and 25 is such that they are in substantial contact to completely shear through the thick-v ness of the web without establishing a radial pressure of the edge 21 of the stationary knife 19 on the edges 32 however, the circumferential speed of the cutting edges 32 and 33 of the transverse knives 24 and 25 is slightly higher than surface speed of the cutting edges 17 because of the larger diameter of the cutting unit 5. In order to sssure displacement of the cutout portion of the Web, a nozzle 35 is carried above the web to discharge a jet of air onto the Web for dislodging the cutout portion into a suitable receptacle 36 carried at the opposite In FIG. 6 is illustrated one of the rotary cutting elements 8 or 9 in which the cutters 37 have curved terminails 38 and 39 to provide windows with rounded corners.

It is to be understood that the holders 4 and 5 will be selected so that they have cutters corresponding in length to the depth of the window opening 13 to be produced for a given job, and that they will be adjusted on the shaft 16 to locate the cuts on the web and spaced apart according to the width of the window The counter roller 6 will also be adjusted to assure contact of the segmental blades therewith. Blades 24 and 25 are selected "to give incisions 18 and 18' of desired length, and the rotary holder 22 therefor is adjusted on the shaft 23 so 'that ends of the blades 24 and 25 are substantially in the planes'of the cutting edges of the segmental knives where the web is severed into separate blanks.

The knives 2d and 2.5 will also be adjusted to or from each other to the desired spaces of the cutting edges 32 and 33 thereof, which, 'of course, will correspond to the lengths of the arcuate cutting edges of the segmental knives 11 and 12.

Assuming that the units 4 and 5 with the selected knives are arranged'in an envelope making machine for producing envelopes from a paper web as illustrated and described, the paper web is continuously advanced between the revolvable blade holders 8 and 9 and the extremely hard surfaced counter roller 6 and then between the stationary knife 19 and the rotary blade holder 22. From the unit f3, the web passes on in continuous movement to the station in the envelope making machine When the forward ends of the cutting edges 17 of the segmental knives 1'1 and 12 come into contact with the web, they pass therethrough to start the parallel cuts 14 and15, since the web "is supported or backed by the counter roller '6. With continuous movement of the knife holders, web and counter rollers, the arcuate edges 17 of the segmental knives 11 and 12 cut through the material of the web for the entire arcuate length thereof, to produce the parallel cuts or incisions 14 and 15, as shown in FIG. 3. When the forward end of incision 15 reaches and begins to pass the edge 21 of the stationary knife 19, the cutting edge 32 of the rotatable knife 24 begins to register with that end portion of the edge of the stationary knife 19. The edge of the knife 24 being on a slight transverse angle, a shear cut starts across the web to the corresponding end of the incision 14, to produce the transverse incision 18. The transverse incision 18 is produced in like manner, to connect the rear terminals of the parallel incisions 14 and 15, whereby the incisions cooperate to complete a continuous generally rectangular pattern, after which the blast from the nozzle 35 displaces the portion of the web contained Within the pattern into the receiver 36, to finish a generally rectangular window opening 13 having clean cut, smooth edges.

If rounded corners are desired at the corners of the window openings, holders 8 and 9 of the type shown in with the curved terminals 38 and 39 produce parallel cuts 14 and 15 with correspondingly curved ends to be joined by the cuts 18 and 18' produced by the unit 5. In this instance blades 24 and 25 will be selected of slightly shorter length, sothat the cuts produced will join with the rounded terminals of the incisions 14 and 15. p i

It is obvious that other holders 8 and 9 may be selected'having other shaped segmental blades. For example, the-cutters may be of semicircular shape, to provide window openings having rounded ends.

When the apparatus is to be used for cutting openings in blanks, the units 4 and 5 will be installed in a portion of an envelope making machine wherein the blanks are conveyed in a linear path, in flat condition, and in timed relation. Otherwise the invention is the same as for cutting window openings in the web.

From the foregoing it is obvious that we have provided a simple apparatus and method of producing window openings in sheet material from which envelopes are produced. Also, they knives are easily adjusted to produce clean cuts through the material and without high pressures on the cutting edges, particularly on those for making the transverse incisions.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patout is:

An apparatus for producing a window opening in moving a sheet from which a window envelope is formed, said apparatus including means for cutting incisions first parallel to the direction of movement of the sheet and subsequently in a direction at right angles to movement of thesheet, saidmeans comprising a rotatable shaft,

laterally spaced apart knife holders on said shaft, arcuate knives in parallel relation on the respective holders, a counter roller having a hard cylindrical surface backing the blanks against action of the arcuate knives for producing the first incisions, a stationary knife spaced from the arcnate knives and extending transversely of the path of the sheet at one face side thereof, a rotor on the opposite face side of the sheet with respect to the stationary knife, arcuate knife holders on opposite diametrical sides of the rotor, and knives on said knife holders, means for fixing the knife holders on said rotor for adjusting the knives to and from each other in accordance with the length of the arcuate knives for c00perating with the stationary knife to produce consecutive transverse incisions in said blanks connecting ends of the parallel cuts.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Lake Dec. 26, Langston Mar. 18, Langston Mar. 18, Otis Nov. 10, Meisel May 25, Kavle Apr. 12, Hagen Jan. 24, Moritz Nov. 28, Chesley Feb. 25, Hallman Nov. 24, Conner Aug. 14, Gerbe Apr. 8, Neese June 3, Pomper et a1. Nov. 6, 

